OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Reel-Type Mowers Scott Bonnar 45 Restoration and Decals

Hi Michael, I think you've been kissed on the ....by a fairy!
What good luck!

You could be right What are the odds of finding that decal??

Darryl, would you happen to have a good quality pic of the chain cover decal (and also the exact dimensions)? Is the Scott Bonnar written in individual cut out white letters, or is it printed onto a clear background like the catcher?

Hi Michael, my chain-case decal has been ruined by running close to edges over the years and paint is also missing, but it was the white letters on a clear background.
I will replace it with a catcher decal if I have to, mate.

Thanks Darryl, that's good info. I'll look into these as well. The chain cases on my mowers have the decals completely worn off also

Hi Michael,
I would be very interested if you could find any of these, that info could give a lot of late model SB's owners and restorers the hope that they could restore their machine to original specs.
All good stuff mate!

I source a lot of hard to get car parts through work and I can usually find the time to look around for some Scotty stuff while I'm at it - Finding original, unused SB decals is next to impossible though.

I've looked into the reproduction side of things very closely over the last couple of months and there's unfortunately no easy way to achieve the colours and quality of the originals. As we discussed at the very start of this thread, gold and silvers aren't able to be produced by conventional digital printing equipment. Alternatively you can have the designs cut of vinyl and layered over each other. That way you can match the colours, but not the flat printing of the factory decals.

To truly match the standard of the originals, they need to be screen printed, with gold and silver inks physically mixed to match. The problem with screen printing is it's not viable for small quantities and is geared towards large volume production runs. An ideal solution for Scott Bonnar themselves but not for the average restorer. The quote to reproduce the early SB45 decals was several thousand.

Some more info on Briggs engines fitted to early 45's.

Well it's taken a while to sort out but I managed to sneak these in with some other decals we needed for work. It's definitely not easy to get the correct metallic gold inks but not impossible. Very happy with the result!

Hi Michael,

on your efforts there mate, the decals look brilliant...a perfect finishing touch for a Series 1 SB Model 45 restoration...

Thanks Darryl!

I like them so much that they may find their way on to my series 2 resto (which isn't factory correct now anyway). I'm a little way off with the pentagon style clear decals and the mower is all but done. I really should put some photos up

Please do Michael, as we'd all like to see 'em mate.

I'll dig her out and do some more over the weekend. The chain case is still in primer and the chains aren't on yet. Also need to fit the clutch and throttle cables. I think everything else is together. I've only been doing about 10 mins per week on it for months now so the progress has been much slower than I anticipated.

Finally finished my chain case

Looks perfect!! Love the paint colour, what's it called?

Wow! Great job Rolla.

Will this be a great example when finished

Thank you gentlemen

conquest96 - The paint colour is Sherwood Green, I believe it was used by Ford on some models during the 70's. Ford's colour code is 'Z' if you're ever looking to get some mixed up

Very nice like the colour looks awesome

That green reminds me of the xc fairmont gs we had when I was a kid. looks awesome..

Well after a year of putting in the odd 10 minutes or so per week, my 45 project is back in action Pretty happy with the result but will do some things differently next time, not powder coating the rollers for one!

Hi Rolla and ODK members,
This is the reason that I love being on this forum...to see an brilliant restoration of my favourite machine executed so well!
Congratulations on a fabulous job Rolla, she looks better than a new one...Just love the colour...it is awesome!
once again, and many thanks for posting the pics!

It looks better than new to me, too. With some items, such as vintage cars, I don't care for "over-restoration". However a twin-rail SB45 is not a rare art-object, and you haven't changed the concept, you've just done the job SB tried to do in the first place, and done it better. (If you'd done the same thing to a single-deck SB45 I'd be a bit uneasy though. However it's your mower, and your decision.)

Thanks Darryl and Grumpy

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news grumpy, but I'm about to do something much worse to a solid deck 17" 45. I'll have to post it in the 'unusual customisation projects' section

Could you do it to a really beaten-up one that wasn't worth restoring?

Either way, it's still your mower. Property rights have to count for something.

Hi Michael and grumpy,
I don't know what all the fuss is over a solid deck SB Model 45....they were just a 1968 to 1974 version of the ubiquitous Model 45...there are heaps of them out there in the 3 models..14", 17" and the 20".
Just because they have a solid engine deck, does not make them any more special than a well maintained twin railer, which was the model carried forward by Rover-Scott Bonnar and only had the 2 models, the 17" and the 20". The Series 2 had a more reliable engine in the Briggs and Stratton rather than the Kirby Lauson (Tecumseh) used on the Series 1 machines.

Michael, it is good to see these great machines restored, but it is up to the owner to decide how it will be carried out, to what standard and customised or not.
Either way, it's the owner's call, and that's how it should be.
Well that's my 2 cents worth...I'll get off my soapbox now!
Kindest Regards,
Darryl.

Hi Darryl and Grumpy,

I agree with you both in many ways. The solid deck 45 is my personal favourite and I wouldn't do it to one in reasonable condition. The twin rail machine in this thread was a great practice machine for me, more so for the mechanical side, stripping and then rebuilding. I also wanted to play around with it at home and see what sort of result I could get with aerosol cans.

I'll take the next machine in to work with me - I run a custom automotive business that specialises in component restoration and custom painting (not whole cars but smaller detailed work). We have a professional booth, full base/clear 2k paint system, high end guns and airbrushes plus other equipment like blast cabinet, polishing gear etc. I'd just like to see what's possible and hope to use it as a display piece in our shop to show off some of our work.

And yes it's definitely beaten up!

Hi Michael, I am definitely looking forward to seeing the progress pics as you go along with this one...You've got a hell of a job in front of you, but I'll bet she will come up a treat!

Pretty sweet looking mower Michael! Great work on the resto.

Did you have the bars re-chromed or is that the original chrome with some elbow grease thrown in?

Thanks Simon

Yes I had the handle bars re-chromed, they had a few scuffs and scrapes so I thought it was best to get them done professionally.

Looks the biz!

Stunning Restoration Rolla! Love the green...Looks Ford? Engine is more orange ,Than Rocket red,so Chev Orange? Did I guess right? lols...And the decals really finish it off:) Good luck with the next one too as it will make a nice display! Nothing advertises better than displaying your Own work for customers to see. Your businuess sounds much like mine in the fact we have the facilities to make these machines come back to life with relative ease. Again beautiful work and Id love to see your setup sometime,sounds right up my alley:)